Successful Showing for Crimson Tide in DeBoer Debut

© Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

The No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide (1-0) kicked off the Kalen DeBoer era with an easy victory over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (0-1) by a score of 63-0 on Aug. 31 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The Crimson Tide were never in danger of losing this game due to a big-play offense and relentless defense.

Game Summary

The Crimson Tide took control of the game early in the first quarter. On the Tide's second possession, after a TJ Finley interception, Jalen Milore led a two-play, 16-yard drive capped by a Jam Miller 4-yard touchdown run, opening the floodgates of scoring on the night. Milroe showed why he is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in college football. He completed 7 of 9 passes for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns, and he rushed for 79 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Tide brought in Ty Simpson to replace him early in the third quarter.

Freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams had a night to remember in his Alabama debut. He had 2 long receptions, both of which resulted in touchdowns.

Justice Haynes led the Crimson Tide ground game with 102 yards and a TD on 4 carries.

The Tide defense did not allow much from the Hilltoppers offense all night, holding them to 200 yards of total offense. Much was made of Caleb Downs leaving Alabama for Ohio State, but his replacement, transfer safety Keon Sabb, had a spectacular debut for the Tide with 2 interceptions in the first quarter. The defense swarmed the ball and kept the Hilltoppers out of the end zone to earn a shutout win in their first game under DeBoer.

Turning Point for Crimson Tide

The game's turning point, if there was one, was Sabb's second interception. The Hilltoppers' third possession had some success, but on the eighth play of the drive, Finley threw over the middle, where Sabb was patrolling, and he picked off the pass, then returned the ball to the Hilltoppers' 26-yard line.

Three plays later, Kendrick Law scored on a 22-yard pass from Milroe, making the score 14-0. The game was all but over at that point.

The Crimson Tide were never in jeopardy of losing the game and had the opportunity to give playing time to backups, including third-string quarterback Dylan Lonergan.

What it Means

The Crimson Tide started the DeBoer era with a comfortable win and executed at a high level. Aside from allowing an early sack and a turnover on a bad snap, the Tide played a clean game. The Tide will now play South Florida, a team that gave Alabama all they could handle last year.

For the Hilltoppers, it's time to reset because they never really got going, and all the preparation and game planning went out the window in the first quarter. The Hilltoppers play Eastern Kentucky next in a matchup that should give them a chance to execute at a higher level than they did in this loss to the Crimson Tide.